


An Operative in Ontario

by wanderingaroundyoutube



Series: Masks and Munitions [2]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Bomb Girls
Genre: Espionage, F/F, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3243320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingaroundyoutube/pseuds/wanderingaroundyoutube
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 1946 and WW2 is over but there is still crime in Toronto. Betty, Kate, Gladys, and Vera are determined to keep the city safe.  However, when Peggy Carter comes to town, the Bombshells find themselves in the middle of something more dangerous than local organized crime.</p><p>Note: This story is a sequel to Masks and Munitions, which is slightly AU from the Bomb Girls series. While you don't have to read M&M before reading this, I do recommend it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again, friends and readers. This is, finally, my sequel to Masks and Munitions. And it comes with a bonus Agent Carter crossover. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
> 
> As usual, this story will be un-beta'd. So please excuse any spelling, grammar, or other mistakes.  
> Unfortunately with this story I can't guarantee regular updates like I have in the past. I will try to update as frequently as possible. I appreciate your patience.

It was a chilly evening in Toronto on this, the last Saturday of March, 1946. Spring was coming, but slowly. It wasn’t as cold as it had been, but tonight it wasn’t yet warm enough to be outside without a coat either. Especially after dark.

The brunette who stepped out of Union Station just after dusk didn’t seem to notice the chill in the air. Her overcoat hung open and unbuttoned as she walked calmly out from between the limestone columns and towards the single taxi waiting for potential passengers. The driver, and older man with a scruffy beard, saw her approach and quickly started to get out of the car to help the woman with her bag.

“No, no, that’s quite alright. I’ve got it.” The woman, who spoke with a British accent, waved him back into the drivers seat as she opened the rear door herself and pushed her bag inside before sliding in after it.

The driver turned the radio down as she entered the car. It had been blasting and the woman caught the sounds of some sort of sports commentary as she closed the door behind her.

“Where to, miss?” The driver asked.

“The Spadina Hotel if you please,” the woman said in a kind, but commanding tone. “I have the address in my purse if you need it.” She popped open the latch on her purse and began shifting things around inside.

“No need miss. I know where it is.” He started the meter and put the car in gear. “Off we go then. Do you mind if I listen to the radio while I drive, miss? There’s a Stanley Cup Playoff game tonight.”

The woman smiled. “Oh no, go right ahead. I would never keep a fine Canadian man such as yourself from his hockey.”

The driver smiled and turned the radio volume back up. The car filled with commentary on the game as they drove through the streets of Toronto.

The woman tuned out the sound of the radio and instead concentrated on the city that was passing by outside the window. Her eyebrows raised as she noticed that they were one of only a few cars on the road. In addition to the lack of traffic, there were also very few pedestrians. As the driver of the taxi had said, the Stanley Cup playoffs were on. The games had brought life in the city to a near standstill. Those people who might normally have gone out for an evening stroll were instead huddled around radios in their sitting rooms. As a result, the streets were nearly empty. The city almost seemed deserted.

 

On one normally busy street across town, however, things were not as deserted as they seemed. Outside a jewelry store, two men were trying to look inconspicuous. One was knelt in front of the door picking the lock. The other was standing on the sidewalk keeping watch. The rest of the street was deserted for blocks in both directions. There wasn’t a sound except for the pick in the lock, the scrape of the lookout’s shoes, and a loose newspaper blowing through the road.

“What was that?” The standing man asked for the third time in ten minutes. He shifted and glanced around nervously. He saw no one, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched.

“Nothing.” The man working on the lock muttered. “Your ears are playing tricks on you, Jake.”

Jake didn’t seem convinced. “I heard something. I know I did.”

“Will you be quiet? I told you it’s nothing. Now quit yapping so I can concentrate.”

“Fine, but be quick about it. All the jewelry in that store won’t be worth anything to us if we get caught.”

“Relax. It’s dark out and everyone is inside listening to the game. Nobody’s gonna catch us.”

The man turned back to the lock and began working again. A little over a minute later he let out a string of curses, and elbowed the door in frustration. He jiggled the pick a few more times and there was finally a quiet click. He smiled and turned, “See? I told you. Piece of…Jake? Where’d you go?”

There was no response. Jake was no longer standing on the sidewalk in sight of the inset door. He stood and dusted off his pants.

“Jake? Come on, man, this isn’t funny.” He stepped out of the doorway, turned to look down the sidewalk, and almost tripped over Jake. Jake was now in a crumpled, unconscious heap on the ground. The lock-pick looked up from his associate and found himself face to face with two women wearing masks. The blonde opened her mouth to say something, but he didn’t stick around to hear what it was. Instead he turned and bolted down the sidewalk in the other direction.

The blonde groaned. “Why do they always run?”

She and the brunette next to her took off after him. They chased him down the street for three blocks, unable to catch up to him, until he turned and tried to lose them down an alleyway. They both put on a sprint of speed to reach the corner as he disappeared around it.

They made it to the alleyway just a dozen or so seconds after the man had disappeared around the corner. Both women flew around the corner then skidded to a halt at what they found. The lock pick was on the ground unconscious, and standing over him were two more women wearing masks. One blonde and one a redhead. The redhead smirked at the two who had run around the corner.

“Lose something?”

The brunette glanced down to make sure the man was unconscious before asking, “Where did you come from?”

“We were coming to meet you. He came around the corner right at us. From the look on his face we figured it was you he was running from.”

The blonde across from her was hunched over with her hands on her knees. She nodded at the ground. “Thanks for that. We would have caught up to him eventually, but…” She trailed off.

On the ground, the thief was waking up. He sat up and looked up at them in confusion. “Wha- what happened? Oh, great. More of you.”

“Yes, more of us.” The brunette responded. “Now, do we need to knock you out again, or are you going to come quietly to the police?”

The man looked around at each of them, then snarled, “I don’t care what the papers say about you. I won’t be taken in by a bunch of idiot women who can’t accept that the war is over and that their place is back in the kitchen. For all I know you’re also all a bunch of-“

The blonde who’d been chasing him knocked him out before he could finish. “Well if you’re going to be rude...”


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big, huge, enormous thank you to btvsobsessed623 for beta-ing this chapter.
> 
> A short chapter maybe, but I couldn't keep it to myself any longer.
> 
> Enjoy!

Monday April 1, 1946

 

The shrieking hiss of the tea kettle filled the kitchen and Lorna Corbett quickly put down the spatula she’d been using to stir a pan of scrambled eggs. She grabbed a dishrag from the counter.

“Alright, I've got you.” She scolded the kettle as she turned off the stove and poured the boiling water into a mug where a tea bag was waiting. She set the kettle back on the stove and quickly picked up the spatula again to turn the eggs. On the counter next to the stove, the electric coffee maker gave one final wheeze and then stopped.

There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs and Gladys came down, looking tired. “Good morning, Lorna.” She yawned as she made her way to the coffee maker.

“Good morning. I didn't hear you girls come in last night. How late were you out?”

Gladys poured herself a mug of coffee before responding. “A little after one, I think.” She took a sip from her mug and closed her eyes for a moment. “We were on our way back earlier, but we ran across a mugging on our way home.” She took another sip of coffee and sighed. “What can I do to help?”

“Start on the toast. The others will be down soon, I’m sure.”

Sure enough, just as Gladys was adding buttered slices of toast to the plates Lorna was piling with eggs, Vera appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She was followed by Betty and Kate. Betty grabbed a mug of coffee and headed straight for the dining room without saying a word. The others stayed behind to grab the food.

“Mm, this smells delicious, Lorna.” Kate smiled as she took a plate for herself, and one for Betty.

“Thank you, Kate.” Lorna replied.

Vera nodded in agreement with Kate as she took her own plate along with the jar of jam. She led the way through the door and into the dining room.

Betty had settled into her seat with her coffee and the newspaper. She was glaring at one of the pages as she read. She didn't even seem to notice when Kate slipped her plate in front of her and sat down beside her.

“Is there anything in there about the attempted robbery on Saturday, Betty?” Gladys asked from across the table. When Betty didn't answer, Gladys tried again. “Hello? Earth to Betty.” She waved her hand from across the table.

The blonde finally looked up from the paper. “Huh? What? Oh, no. Nothing about the thieves.”

“What’s got you so glum, Betty?” Vera joked. “Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

Betty huffed a little. “I’m not glum. I was thinking.”

Gladys looked concerned. “Well whatever it is you’re thinking about has got you mad. You were glaring so hard at the paper just now I’m surprised there isn’t a hole in it. What’s up, Betts?”

Betty opened her mouth to say something, glanced at Kate, then seemed to think better of what she had been about to say. “It’s nothing.”

“Now I’m really worried,” Kate said, setting down her fork. “I thought things were going well at the bank. Did something happen?”

Betty shook her head and shrugged. “It’s no big deal. Really. I’m just worried about work. One of the tellers was short five dollars at the end of the day on Friday. Mr. Stevens always flips his wig when someone is short. He’s gonna be watching all the tellers like a hawk all week. I just know it. And whenever he does that the tellers are impossible to work with.”

Lorna frowned as she spread jam onto a slice of toast. “The tellers take it out on you when they get into trouble?”

Betty shrugged again. “You know how some folks are. Always looking for somebody else to blame for their own problems.”

Gladys nodded as she swallowed a bite of food. “There is a reporter at the Daily Star who behaves that way. He writes for the culture section but is always submitting story ideas that have nothing to do with culture. They always get rejected by the editor. You can always tell when it’s happened because he stomps around the office for two days afterward snapping at anyone who even looks at him funny.”

Betty nodded. She finally noticed her own food and began eating. Just then, one of the other two boarders in the house came into the room.

“Good morning, ladies,” a chipper Eileen greeted them as she swept through the door from the kitchen and into the room. She was carrying a plate of food which she took to the empty seat next to Lorna.

“Good morning, Eileen,” Gladys replied. “How was your evening last night?”

“It was wonderful. Thank you for asking.” Eileen smiled but did not elaborate as she picked up her fork. Her boyfriend had taken her out on a date the night before. They had been going steady for several months now. Carol, the other resident of the house who was prone to gossip, was convinced that a proposal would be coming any day now.

“Where is Carol?” Kate asked.

“Hmm? Oh, she filled a mug with coffee, grabbed a slice of toast, then disappeared back upstairs to get ready for work. You know how she is in the morning.”

“Speaking of work,” Betty pushed back her chair to stand, “I had better go get ready or I’ll be late.”

“Oh dear. Is that the time? I should get ready too.” Gladys stood as well. She picked up her own plate and followed Betty back into the kitchen.

Kate waited until she heard footsteps heading upstairs before she turned to the woman next to her, “How is the fireworks business doing, Vera? I bet Marco is enjoying working in the family business again.”

“He is,” Vera nodded. “And I like being in charge of the office. Marco lets me run it however I like. I've been setting up a new organizational system in between calling customers. I think it is going to make running things a lot easier.”

“I don’t know how you do it, Vera.” Eileen remarked. “If my fiance made explosives for a living I would be so worried about him all the time. I can’t imagine how you get any work done.”

Vera shrugged. “I worry some. But Marco and I both worked with explosives at VicMu. He knows what he’s doing. I trust him not to blow himself up.”

“He’s probably too scared of how you and his mother would yell at him if he did blow himself up.” Kate joked.

“Darn right,” Vera nodded with a proud grin. “Burns and shrapnel would be the least of his worries.”

Laughter filled the room as the conversation turned to old stories from the women’s time at Victory Munitions. Eileen sat in her chair looking shocked and horrified at the idea of joking about explosives.

 

* * *

 

Gladys was sitting at her desk on the second floor of the offices of the Toronto Daily Star. She was supposed to be typing up her latest article but instead she found herself staring at her typewriter and the page that had been stopped at the same sentence for nearly an hour. She could not seem to muster any enthusiasm for this innovative egg salad on rye recipe. What was so innovative about adding horseradish and mustard? Surely housewives could experiment on their own if they wanted to spice up their husband’s lunch box. Gladys couldn't imagine that these stories the editor insisted she write covered all of women’s interests. She longed to write something more substantial than the three times weekly cleaning, cooking, and sewing column she had been assigned.

Her restless thoughts were interrupted by a short “ahem” to her left. She turned and found a brunette woman wearing a beige suit and a bright red hat smiling at her.

“Hello,” the woman said in a distinct British accent. “Are you Gladys Witham? I was told that you might be able to help me.”

Gladys stood and offered her hand to the woman. “I am indeed Gladys. And you are?”

“Margaret Rodgers,” the woman replied as she took and shook Gladys’ hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rogers. How can I help you?”

“Please, call me Margaret,” she said with a tight, but sincere smile.

“Margaret then,” Gladys smiled back.

The woman nodded. “I am looking for any articles that may have been written by your newspaper in the last two months pertaining to the local gold refinery.”

“Is there anything in particular about the refinery you’re looking for?”

Margaret shook her head. “I’m afraid I won’t know what I’m looking for until I see it.”

Gladys nodded. “Well then… the archive room is probably the best place to start. Follow me.”

Gladys led the way out into the hall and into a narrow stairway. They walked down several flights of stairs and into the basement of the news building. In a dingy, dusty room in one corner of the basement was the recent news archive. Gladys opened the door and led the way inside.

“Here we are,” Gladys hesitated, scanning the shelves, “All past editions of the paper are stored here, going back six months. Anything older than that are moved to different storage. They are in chronological order.” She turned and walked towards the wall to the right. “The newest should be down here.”

Margaret followed and they each pulled a stack of recent newspapers from the shelves. They brought them back towards the door where there was a table with two chairs. When Gladys pulled out one of the chairs and sat down, Margaret looked surprised. “There is no need to stay and help me look. I’m sure you have far more important things to do.”

Gladys shook her head. “I’m happy to help. Your research is a welcome distraction from a very boring piece I’m working on. Besides, non-employees of the paper aren't allowed to be in the archives without an escort. So I have to stay.” Gladys smiled at this and Margaret smiled back.

“In that case, I suppose I’ll be very glad for the help.”

Gladys nodded and lifted the first paper from her stack. “You said you were looking for news about the local gold refinery, yes?”

Margaret nodded. “Yes. Anything pertaining to the refinery or anyone closely associated to it.”

“Let’s get looking then.”

They began sifting through the pages of newspaper after newspaper. Every once in a while one of them would spot a promising headline and would lean closer to the paper to read the article. But after several hours and two more large stacks of newspapers, they had found nothing.

“Oh dear,” Margaret broke the silence after checking her watch. “Look at the time. I’m afraid I've kept you all afternoon. It’s nearly five. I should let you get going home.”

“Hmm? Oh, yes.I suppose it is late. And with no luck finding anything useful for you,” Gladys frowned. “I suppose we will have to call it a night.”

Margaret nodded. “I hate to impose on any more of your hospitality, but is there any chance I could come back to continue my search?”

“Of course,” Gladys replied. “Shall we meet at the same time tomorrow?”

“The same time tomorrow. Yes, that will work perfectly.”

They both stood. They each reordered the papers they had looked through and carried them back to their rightful shelves. As they stepped back out into the hall, Margaret pulled her jacket and hat back on and led the way up the stairs.

“I don’t suppose you could recommend a restaurant nearby.” Margaret asked as she climbed the steps. “I’m afraid I’m not fond of the cooking at the hotel where I’m staying.”

Gladys thought for a moment then nodded. “There is a small diner two blocks south of here. It’s called Johnny’s. Let’s see. Today is Monday so their special is… a hot roast beef sandwich if I remember correctly. They also make a very good split pea soup.”

They reached the top of the stairs and walked out into the entrance way of the building.

“I shall give it a try.” Margaret smiled and offered her hand. “Thank you for your help, Ms Witham. I really do appreciate it.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Gladys grasped the offered hand. “It has been a pleasure spending the afternoon with you, Ms Rogers. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

“As do I.”

They parted. Margaret went out the front doors. Gladys turned to go back upstairs. When she reached her desk, she found her article still sitting, half typed, in her typewriter. She sighed and sat down. She quickly finished typing it up from her notes. When it was done, she scanned it quickly. She didn't find any typos so she walked over and dropped it into the box for the morning edition before grabbing her coat and purse to head home.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to btvsobsessed623 for being an awesome beta.

Betty closed the door softly behind her and pulled off her coat. She sighed as she hung it on the coat rack. The streetcar ride home had seemed longer than usual this evening. She was glad to finally be in the door. As she slipped off her shoes, Kate’s voice came from the sitting room.

“Betty? Is that you?”

Betty smiled as she stepped down the hall and into the doorway of the sitting room. “Yes, it’s me.” She leaned on the door frame and looked into the room.

Kate was sitting on the sofa mending one of Betty’s shirts. She smiled when Betty appeared in the door frame. “How was work?”

“Not too bad.” Betty sighed. She pushed herself off the door frame and walked across the room. “The tellers weren’t too grumpy. There was a big meeting this morning among the owners. The bank is doing really well. The other girls were gossiping that there might even be pay raises soon.” She settled next to Kate. “How have things been here?”

“We got a new boarder today. Her name is Jane. She is a waitress.” Kate tied off a knot and set her work on a side table.

Betty hummed and nodded, not really listening. She glanced back towards the hallway. “It’s very quiet in here. Where is everyone?”

“Vera is having dinner with Marco’s parents tonight. Lorna went to the grocery store. She took the new girl with her. I don’t know where the others are. They should have been home from work by now.”

“So,” Betty arched an eyebrow, “we’re all alone?”

Kate laughed. “Yes, I suppose we are. Why?”

Betty smirked. She glanced sideways to double check that the curtains in the window were drawn before leaning in to kiss Kate. Kate kissed her back before giggling and pulling back.

“Well, you’re certainly in a mood this evening. What’s gotten into you?”

Before Betty could respond, they heard the front door open then close. Betty closed her eyes and groaned. She let her head slump onto Kate’s shoulder for a moment before she pulled back and straightened.

Gladys appeared in the doorway. “Hello, ladies.”

“Princess,” Betty acknowledged grumpily. “You have horrible timing.”

Gladys’ eyebrows shot up and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Betty,” Kate scolded, swatting the blonde. “Ignore her,” Kate said to Gladys. “What she meant to say was ‘Hello, Gladys. How was your day?’”

Gladys sighed. “It was fine. I wrote about egg salad all morning. It all seems utterly dull to me, but I suppose any readers who are mustard enthusiasts will be thrilled.” Gladys walked into the sitting room and sat in the chair across from the sofa. “Luckily in the afternoon I got a distraction. A woman doing research on… I never did find out what specifically she was interested in. All the said was something about a refinery. I helped her search the archives until it was time to come home. How was your day, Kate?”

“Good. We got a new girl today. Her name is Jane. She is a waitress at a diner downtown.”

“That’s three new boarders in three months.” Betty observed. “Three extra women in this house who don’t and can’t know about the Bombshells. How are we going to keep it a secret from three women?”

“The same way we did when it was just Carol, then when it was Carol and Eileen,” Gladys shrugged. “We wont talk about such things when they are around, and we’ll be careful to be quiet when we come in late.” When Betty nodded, Gladys added, “What room did Lorna put Jane in, Kate?”

“The one above mine.” Kate gestured towards the ceiling. “Thank goodness they’re all on the third floor. I don’t know how we’d keep the bombshells a secret if we had to sneak past their rooms every time we came in from patrol.”

“So this new girl. Jane. What is she like?” Betty asked.

“She’s very young,” Kate said. “Barely eighteen, I’d guess. I only spoke to her for a minute or two but she seems nice. I think she’s a bit shy. But I’m sure once she gets to know us she’ll open up a bit.”

As if on cue, the front door opened again and the hall was filled with several women’s voices. “Oh you must come with us this weekend, Jane.” Eileen’s voice said loudly. “They have Mildred Pierce at the movie house all month. I hear it’s wonderful.”

“Oh yes,” Carol now, “All the girls at work have been talking about it all week. It is supposed to be marvelous. You must come.”

The two women who had spoken walked past the doorway to the sitting room without noticing the three women sitting inside. They were followed by Lorna, and a short, thin young woman with blonde hair. Both were carrying grocery bags. The young woman said softly as she struggled with her heavy bag, “I…I suppose I could come. If I don’t have a shift at the diner that night.”

They heard Eileen laugh from near the stairs. “Fantastic! Well, I must be getting ready. Steven is taking me dancing tonight.” And with that she followed Carol up the stairs and the first floor quieted again.

Kate stood, “Shall we go help with the groceries? I’ll introduce you to Jane.” She led the way into the kitchen where Lorna and Jane were emptying the grocery bags on to the counter.

“There you girls are,” Lorna said when she spotted them.

“Hey, Lorna. What can we do to help?” Betty asked.

Lorna surveyed the haul. “Betty, you put the cans in the pantry. Kate, if you could put the meat in the ice box. All except the chicken. And Gladys… see if you can find the big roasting pan. We’ll have roast chicken tonight.”

“Can I help?” Jane asked softly from one corner.

“Oh!” Lorna exclaimed. “I’m sorry, Jane. I completely forgot introductions. Jane, this is Betty McRae and Gladys Witham.” Each woman nodded as Lorna said their name. “You’ve already met Kate.”

“Hello again,” Kate smiled at the girl.

“It is nice to meet you, Jane,” Gladys offered her hand and Jane took it.

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

When Gladys released Jane’s hand, Betty took it with a smile. “Welcome. I hope you’ll like it here. Lorna is a great cook and us girls aren’t too crazy. Most days.” She added with a wink.

“Thank you,” Jane laughed.

Lorna nodded. “Good. Now that you all know one another… Jane, you can chop the carrots while I chop the onions.”

They all got to work with their assigned tasks, with only a small fit of giggles when Betty saluted Lorna behind her back after all the orders were given. Soon the groceries were put away and the chicken was in the oven roasting with carrots and onions.

“I’m afraid I can’t stay for dinner,” Jane said after everything was in the oven. “I have to get to the restaurant. I’m working the late shift tonight. Actually,” she glanced at her watch, “I should be getting ready. Please excuse me.” She smiled shyly and headed up the stairs.

“I suppose it’s just the four of us for dinner then,” Lorna said. “Carol and Eileen are both going out. A double date.”

Gladys waited until the sound of Jane’s steps completely disappeared before she asked softly, “What is the plan for tonight? Are we going out?”

Kate nodded. “There is no word on anything significant, but it is supposed to be a nice night. Plenty of people out and about. Perfect targets for small time thieves and muggers.”

“And those thieves are perfect targets for the Bombshells,” Betty finished the thought, nodding.

It was the same most nights. The end of the war had meant the end to the worst of the rationing. The local black market, and organized crime in general, had suffered significantly. There was no doubt that they would find a new way to exploit people eventually. The Bombshells were content to patrol for petty thieves and other troublemakers until a new boss took control and started running more elaborate schemes.

“We can talk about all that later,” Lorna said. “Betty, Gladys, why don’t you all go upstairs and clean up for dinner? You look like you both walked in the door just before Jane and I did.”

The two nodded and moved towards the stairs.

“I should finish my mending,” Kate suddenly realized. “Let me bring it from the sitting room, Lorna. I’ll keep you company while you finish dinner.” She stepped out of the room then returned a few moments later with the shirt she had been mending and her sewing kit. She sat down at the small kitchen table and began her work again.

“So, there has been no word of any trouble from any of the usual sources?” Kate asked after getting her stitching started again.

Lorna shook her head as she peeled potatoes and dropped them into a pot to boil. “Nothing significant. There are rumors, whispers about something big happening. But no one I talked to today could give me anything more than the word ‘gold’.”

“As in the metal? Perhaps a jewelry robbery.”

“It could be. Or it could be a code word for something completely unrelated. There’s just not enough information to act on yet.”

“Give it time,” Kate said. “I’m sure something will turn up eventually. And when it does, you will figure out exactly where and when for Betty, Gladys, and I to be to stop whatever it is in it’s tracks. We almost always do.”

“Yes,” Lorna muttered, “it’s the almost that I’m worried about.”

 

* * *

 

 

Kate had been right. It was a very nice night. It had gotten dark early, but it was still quite comfortable outside. That combined with the fact that there was not a hockey game, meant that there were a lot of people out tonight. Couples and groups of friends taking advantage of the comfortable weather. Most were out to dinner or dancing or the movies. The only people out on the street were those on their way to or from their destinations.

It was those on their way home that were usually targeted, so the Bombshells had chosen to patrol around the most popular part of town. They watched from an alleyway on as people poured out of the movie theater and dispersed in every direction. Then they would circle the area, watching for couples or people walking alone who might be an easy target for thieves. Without the need for heavy coats, the Bombshells were able to move swiftly and silently through the alleyways.

At the moment though, the streets were mostly empty. It was a rare lull in the normal congestion. Everyone seemed to be halfway through their film or dinner. The exceptions were a single man who had been standing on a shadowy corner smoking cigarette after cigarette for nearly half an hour, and Gladys, Betty, and Kate, who were leaning against the wall of the alley just out of sight of the street.

“Do you remember,” Kate asked, breaking the silence, “the night Marco proposed to Vera?”

“I’ll never forget it,” Gladys replied. “She came in that door like she was floating on a cloud. I don’t think I’d ever seen her so… well there’s no other word for it. She was giddy.”

Betty smirked. “Well of course she was giddy. It took him three and a half years to propose. I was starting to wonder if he’d ever ask.”

“Of course he was going to ask,” Kate said wistfully. “Those two are meant for each other. Anybody can see that.”

Betty fidgeted a bit. “I bet he was just nervous. Vera can be a little bit intimidating sometimes. And that is a big question to ask.”

“Still,” Kate shook her head, “he had to know she’d say yes. Didn’t he? I mean… of course she was going to say yes.”

Gladys looked sideways at her. “You’re such a romantic, Kate. It’s no wonder you won the pool.”

Kate blushed a little. “I still don’t understand how Vera knew we had taken bets on when it would happen.”

“She probably overheard us reselecting dates. We did have to restart the pool, what… three times because he was taking so-” Betty stopped short as something in the street caught her attention. She leaned forward and peeked out into the street.

“What is it, Betts?” Gladys asked, leaning forward to see.

What had caught Betty’s attention was obvious. A woman had exited a small diner across the street from the alley and was now walking down the road alone. Or so the woman thought. The man who had been smoking on the corner was now walking down the sidewalk a distance behind the woman.

“That’s not good,” Gladys said.

“Maybe it’s coincidence,” Kate said, hopefully. “Maybe he just happened to decide to leave at the same time she did.”

They watched as the woman continued to walk down the sidewalk. She seemed to be completely unaware that the man was behind her. She didn’t even turn when she crossed the road and he sped up and crossed behind her.

Gladys’ jaw tightened and her voice went cold. “That’s no coincidence. He’s hunting. And he’s catching up to her.”

“Betty, we need to move,” Kate hissed. “If they get much further away we wont be able to reach her in time if he tries something.”

Betty glanced back at Kate. “We can’t go out onto the main street. The movie could let out any minute.”

“Look,” Gladys pointed. The woman had turned suddenly and disappeared down an alley parallel with theirs but two blocks down. The man quickened his steps again and now approached the alley at a jog. “The back way. Quickly.”

Gladys led the way to the back of the alley where a thin lane ran behind the buildings. They sprinted down the lane, pulling their masks out and on in the process. They slowed just before they reached the alley they had seen the woman turn down. Gladys threw up a hand for the other two to stop. She peaked around the corner, assessing the situation.

Gladys dropped her hand in surprise . She turned the corner and quickly moved forward. The other two followed. Kate hesitated in confusion when she saw what Gladys had. The man who had been following the woman was lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. A knife lying on the ground a few paces away next to the crates that blocked the man from view of the street. The woman was nowhere to be seen.

“What in the world…” was all Kate could say.

Gladys knelt down next to the man. “He’s out cold.”

Kate took a few more steps forward and looked around. “Whatever happened must happened very fast,” she observed. “It couldn’t have been more than a minute from the time we started running and when we got here.”

Betty had moved to the other end of the alley and was peering out into the street. The woman was now back on the sidewalk. It was hard to tell anything from the back of her head, but the woman didn’t seem to be rattled at all. She walked onward as if nothing odd had happened at all.

Betty watched the woman for a few moments before turning back down the alley. “I think our damsel saved herself.” She jerked her thumb towards the main street. “She’s back out there on the sidewalk. Walking home like nothing odd just happened.”

“Good for her,” Kate nodded.

Gladys looked up from the unconscious man. “Did you get a look at her, Betts?”

Betty shook her head. “No. I only ever saw her from behind. I think she had brown hair, but I couldn’t tell much else.”

“What kind of woman could knock a grown man out cold like that?” Kate wondered out loud.

“Well, we can.” Gladys replied.

Kate rolled her eyes. “I know we can, Gladys. But we train. Ordinary women walking home from a diner can’t normally do what we can do.”

“It would seem then,” Gladys replied as she got to her feet, “that she, whoever she is, is no ordinary woman.”

Betty and Kate didn’t reply. All three women stood looking down at the would be attacker. None of them moved until the sounds of people from the street broke into their thoughts. The movie theater had let out a crowd of people who were now walking past the alley in loud groups.

Gladys looked over her shoulder towards the street. “It’s a good thing people never look down alleys.”

Betty sighed and pulled out a roll of twine from her pocket. “The police station isn’t far. Let’s get his wrists tied and we’ll drop him off at their back door.”

They bound the man’s hands then Betty and Gladys lifted him by the elbows. Kate walked ahead, making sure the way was clear as they carried the man through the back streets and alleys. It was four blocks to the police station. By the time they reached the back steps Gladys and Betty were straining to keep the man up.

Gladys let out an uncharacteristic grunt as they dropped the man onto the ground. She rolled her shoulders, trying to relieve some of the strain. “I am going to be sore tomorrow.”

“Me too.” Betty rubbed her own shoulders. “At least we didn’t have to chase him though.”

Kate looked at Betty fondly and smiled. Betty hated running. Chasing after criminals was the only part of crime fighting she really hated. Kate found it adorable.

“Are you both alright? Do we need to head back?”

Betty shook her head. Gladys said, “No. We’re fine. Let’s get back to patrolling.”

“Should we go back to watching for trouble from that alley?”

Betty shook her head. “I’m tired of standing around. Let’s walk.”

“That sounds good to me,” Gladys agreed. “But first let’s let our friends know they’ve got a delivery.”

Betty and Kate moved back towards a corner. Gladys walked up the steps to the door. She glanced once at Betty, who nodded. Gladys then knocked loudly on the door and ran. By the time an officer opened the door and stepped out into the back alley, the Bombshells had disappeared into the dark back streets of the city.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. I'm sorry it's taken so long for this chapter. Unfortunately, I think the next one might take a while as well. Real life has taken a turn for the extremely busy over the past few weeks and I've had almost no time to write. I promise I wont abandon this fic though. I will continue to write it, even if it takes a while.

Tuesday April 2, 1946

 

“We didn’t get a chance to get to know one another yesterday. Tell me about yourself, Ms Rogers.”

Gladys and Margaret were in the archives looking through papers again. They were sitting at the table, each with a big stack of newspapers. The Britt looked up from the paper she had just pulled from the top of her pile. “What would you like to know, Ms Witham?”

Gladys studied Margaret for a moment then asked, “Where in England are you from?”

“I was born and raised in London.”

Gladys looked down and started scanning the front page of the paper. “I visited London once. It’s a lovely city. I hope you didn’t come all the way across the Atlantic just to research metal refineries in Toronto. Surely whatever information you needed could have been sent by telegram or letter.”

“Actually, I live in New York now,” Margaret said casually.

Gladys looked up, surprised. “Really? How did that come about, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Margaret seemed to hesitate, but only for a moment. She smiled. “Not at all. It’s a rather boring story really. I volunteered for the war effort back in England. That work brought me to the United States and I found I quite liked New York City. So when the war ended I decided to stay.”

Gladys smiled nostalgically. “I worked at a munitions factory here in Toronto during the war. I almost miss it now. This,” she waved at the newspaper building around them, “doesn’t really compare to the excitement of working with live explosives, the camaraderie of the women on the line, the fulfillment of knowing that what I was doing was helping the boys overseas…” She trailed off.

“You’re right. It isn’t the same,” Margaret agreed simply. She didn’t add an excuse or any words of comfort. Both women knew there was nothing else to be said.

Gladys shook her head to clear her thoughts before changing the subject. “Do you miss England?”

Margaret paused again. She stared distantly off into space as she said, “I suppose I do on occasion. Never enough to tempt me to return though. I find the pace on this continent suits me much better than that of my home country. Even if it is nearly impossible to find a decent cup of tea on this side of the Atlantic.” She said this last sentence jokingly and Gladys laughed.

“I’m hesitant to admit that my tastes have turned from tea to coffee recently.”

Margaret raised an eyebrow. “Oh dear. Really?”

Gladys shrugged. “It isn’t so bad once you get used to it. So what brings you to Toronto?”

Margaret gestured toward the pile of newspapers. “This, actually. I’m doing research for my employer. He has a personal interest in precious metal refining and is considering expanding his investments into the area.”

“So why not go directly to the refinery then? I’m sure they would be happy to share information with a potential investor.”

Margaret shook her head. “My employer is… not exactly the most open of businessmen. He prefers to keep his queries quiet until the last possible moment. That is also why he sent me instead of coming himself. I am here to learn what I can about how the industry is doing without arousing the suspicion of his rivals.”

Gladys leaned back. “I see. He must be a very important man to be so suspicious and secretive.”

Margaret chuckled and continued scanning the paper in front of her. “He would like to think so.”

They fell silent again as they became absorbed in searching the headlines again. They flipped through page after page. For nearly half an hour the only sound in the room was the rustle of the pages as they turned.

“Here,” Gladys said suddenly. “I think I’ve found something.” She folded a page in half and slid it across the table. She pointed at a small article near the bottom of the business page.

Margaret pulled it towards her and read out loud. “The sale of the Stevens Gold Refinery to H.E. Valiant Mining was completed yesterday. Mr. Carl Stevens, head of the Stevens Mining Company continues to deny rumors that the sale is a sign of larger financial troubles at the company. The refinery was the first opened by Mr. Stevens’ grandfather Edward Stevens, who founded the company in 1889.” Margaret’s voice trailed off and she continued to read the article in silence.

“Is that useful to you at all?” Gladys asked.

Margaret nodded. “It is indeed.” She pulled out a pen and notepad and began copying down the article almost word for word. “It says here ‘continues to deny rumors’. I wonder if that means there were previous articles covering the sale of the refinery.”

“It is certainly likely,” Gladys nodded. She leaned over to double check the date on the article. “It looks like the sale was finalized two weeks ago. I’ll take these newer papers back to the shelves and bring back those from the week or so before the sale.” She lifted the remainder of the stack she had been looking through as well as Margaret’s.

“Are you sure you can carry all that?” Margaret asked. “They must be heavy.”

“Yes, I’ve got it.” Gladys winked at her before turning to walk down the aisles. “I’m stronger than I look.”

Gladys returned a few minutes later with a much smaller stack of papers. “Here we go. These are the papers from the two weeks before that article about the sale.”

“Ah, good. There must be something more in here.” Margaret pulled a few from the top of the stack and began flipping through the pages. Gladys sat back down and did the same.

Sure enough, it took only a few minutes before they found another article about the sale of the refinery. Then another. By the time they worked their way through the two weeks worth of newspapers they had found five additional articles in total. Margaret copied the details of each into her notepad as they found them.

“This oldest article seems to be the first,” Gladys remarked. “I don’t think we’ll find any more.”

“I agree.” Margaret nodded and scanned over her notes. “However, I believe what we have found is more than sufficient for now.” She nodded to herself and closed her notebook. She slipped it into her bag. “And I have taken up far too much of your time already. Thank you so much for your help, Ms. Witham.”

Gladys tried to hide her surprise at the woman’s sudden brusqueness as she stood. “You are very welcome. I hope these articles prove useful to your employer.”

“I’m sure they will.”

They left the archive room and walked up the stairs. Once again they paused together in the entrance hall of the newspaper building.

“How long are you in town for?” Gladys asked when they turned to face one another in front of the doors.

“Not long,” Margaret added. She patted her bag. “I need to get this information back to my employer. I expect I will only stay a day or two, until the next train leaves for New York.”

“Well if you do find a reason to stay longer, you should visit the Jewel Box on Friday night.”

“Jewel Box?”

Gladys nodded. “It’s a club and restaurant. They have a great band. My friend Kate sometimes sings with them.”

“That sounds lovely. I don’t expect to be in town that long, but if I am, perhaps I will check out this Jewel Box.” She offered her hand, which Gladys took. “Goodbye, Ms. Witham. Thank you again.”

“Goodbye, Ms. Rogers.”

Margaret turned and walked out the door. Gladys watched through the large glass window as the woman turned and walked down the sidewalk. Only after she disappeared did Gladys sigh and turn around to head back upstairs to her desk.

“Right then. No more lucky distractions. Back to fruit cocktails and stained carpet.”

 

* * *

 

 

The door to the boarding house few open so fast that it banged against the coat rack, nearly knocking it over.

“Honey, I’m home!”

“I’m behind you, Marco.” an unimpressed Vera scolded from the front walk.

“I know but I’ve always wanted to try that.”

“Save it for after the wedding when we have our own house. Now are you going to help me bring this in or not?”

“Oh, sorry. Let me take that bag.”

Marco ran back out the door and took the heavy bag from Vera. He smiled sheepishly at her. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes and laugh as she strode past him and into the house.

“Come on you big meatball. Let’s get inside before all the heat escapes. Lorna can’t afford to heat all of Canada.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Marco followed Vera inside, closing the door behind him.

 

 

Kate and Gladys were setting the table in the dining room. They had both paused when the door first opened and were still standing listening to the conversation going on in the hallway. By the time Vera appeared in the wide dining room doorway, both women were struggling not to laugh.

Vera let out an exaggerated sigh when she saw them. “I don’t know how I managed to fall in love with such a goof.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Marco said loudly from a few feet away near the coat rack. He slipped off his shoes and made his way to where Vera was standing. “And you love that I’m such a goof.”

Vera kissed him quickly on the cheek. “Yes, I do. Now go take that bag in to Lorna while I help the girls set the table.”

“Come vuoi, mio amore.” Marco nodded. He waved a hello to Gladys and Kate before disappearing further down the hall towards the other door to the kitchen.

“Hello, girls,” Vera finally greeted. “How were your days?” She stepped into the room and took over folding and placing the napkins.

“My day was very nice,” Kate smiled, “I went in to talk to Leon this afternoon. The band wants me to sing with them again this Friday.”

“That’s fantastic, Kate. Fridays at the Jewel Box are always more lively when you’re up on stage for a few numbers.”

“That’s lovely of you to say, Vera. Thank you.”

“How about you, Gladys? How was your day?”

Gladys smiled, “Lovely.”

“Oh?” Vera’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ve never heard you describe a day at the newspaper as lovely before. At least not without being sarcastic.”

“Well, I-”

Suddenly Lorna’s loud exclamation from the kitchen interrupted the conversation. “Oh my lord! Marco, what in the world am I supposed to do with so much cheese?!”

All three women turned in surprise towards the door that led to the kitchen. They heard Betty laughing loudly.

“What in the world-” Kate began.

“Ah, Mrs. Moretti sent a bag of things with us,” Vera explained. “Canned tomatoes, pasta, and it sounds like she packed a little of her homemade mozzarella too.”

“It sounds like she packed more than just a little,” Gladys laughed just as Betty came through the door carrying the casserole that was the night’s dinner.

“You’re right,” Betty confirmed, “I’ve never seen so much cheese outside of a grocery store or a farm. We’ll be eating nothing but cheese sandwiches for weeks.”

“I wondered on the way here why the bag was so heavy,” Vera said, “I thought it was just the jars.”

“Nope. There was a wheel as big as my head in there.”

Gladys grinned and joked, “Well then it must be enormous!”

Betty frowned but managed to resist a pout. Kate frowned as well. “Don’t listen to her, Betty. I quite like the size of your head.”

Vera snorted from the other side of the table. Gladys just shook her head. Luckily for Betty, Marco and Lorna came through the door from the kitchen at that exact moment. Lorna was carrying a salad and Marco had a bottle of wine that had also been in the bag from his mother.

“Dinner time. Where is everyone else?” Lorna asked.

“It’s just us,” Gladys said. “Jane had to work tonight. Carol and Eileen were home just long enough to change then they went out again.”

“Again?” Lorna shook her head. “I swear those two are out more than they’re home. I hope they aren’t getting into trouble.”

Kate smiled at Lorna’s motherly worry. “I’m sure they’re fine, Lorna.”

“They’re no Bombshells,” Lorna retorted. “They aren’t trained in self defense like you girls are.”

Marco nodded in agreement. “That’s true, but Steve usually goes with them doesn’t he? I’ve run into him once or twice. He’s a big man. I’m sure he could protect them if they run into trouble.”

This seemed to finally comfort Lorna. She sat nodded. They all sat down. Marco poured the wine while the others passed the food around. When he had filled his own plate, he raised his glass. “Ladies, a toast. To the best group of crime fighting gals around. And to the rag tag, mixed up family we’ve all become. I’m so glad I can call you all my friends.”

There was a chorus of “Hear hear” as they clinked their glasses together. They all drank then looked to their food. After a few minutes, Vera turned and raised an eyebrow at Gladys, who was seated next to her. “So, Gladys, you were going to tell us why your day was so nice?”

Gladys shrugged. “The woman who came in yesterday to search the archives was back today. I spent most of the afternoon helping her look for articles about a local gold refinery. We had much better luck today. We found several articles about the sale of the refinery to a new company just recently.”

“Did you say gold?” Lorna looked startled.

“Yes. Why?”

Kate leaned forward. “There are rumors. Something big is happening. We don’t know what except for…”

“Except for the word ‘gold,’” Lorna finished. “It’s all anyone is talking about.”

“I’ve been hearing the same thing,” Marco agreed. “No details. Just the word ‘gold’. Either no one knows exactly what it means, or they’re all too scared to talk.”

Gladys raised an eyebrow. “And you think this could be related?” She shook her head. “No. I don’t think so. Ms. Rogers seemed completely innocent.”

Kate didn’t look convinced. “What exactly about the gold refinery was she looking for, Gladys?”

Gladys shrugged. “She wasn’t specific. Do you really think she could be involved?”

“Maybe it will turn out to be a strange coincidence,” Betty replied. “But we should follow every potential lead.”

Vera waved her hand to silence them. “And we will. But not right now. For tonight let’s just eat and enjoy good company.”

“Hear hear,” Gladys repeated, less enthusiastic than before.


End file.
